SPD General Secretary Kunert distances himself from BSW

The SPD is still testing its relationship with the Socialists: SPD General Secretary Kunert expressed doubts about the coalition government after the eastern state elections. Over the weekend, SPD leader Esken appeared more open to this.

“The SPD’s goal is to ensure that a government can be formed even without the BSW” – this is how SPD Secretary General Kevin Kühnert sees the upcoming state elections in Saxony, Thuringia and, in three weeks, Brandenburg.

“A party without a program is not part of the government’s responsibility,” he told the German editorial network (RND). The only tangible subject of the BSW “is what is now finally decided at the national level: international politics”. The government cannot be based on “so little substance”.

Thuringia and Saxony will hold elections for new state parliaments on September 1. The BSW is expected to achieve double-digit results and third place in both federal states. In the infratest-dimap survey, the SPD has 7%.

Wagenknecht and Ukraine

BSW boss Sahra Wagenknecht sets conditions for government involvement that have nothing to do with national politics – this often concerns Ukraine policy, German arms deliveries and the planned deployment of US missiles in Germany. This is probably what Kunert is referring to.

Esken sounds different on weekends

Until the weekend, SPD leader Saskia Esken issued a different statement about cooperation with the BSW. To German television station ARD, she did not rule out the possibility of a coalition at state level. In addition to explicitly ruling out any cooperation with the AfD, the decision on a coalition “is mainly determined by the state associations,” Esken said. “They don’t need our advice; they will decide after the election based on the circumstances.”